Space exploration not fully adapted for women, says astronaut Sara García

Spanish astronaut Sara García Alonso, part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) astronaut reserve, acknowledged progress in gender equality within space exploration but asserted the sector remains ill-suited for women. "Space exploration has historically been a very masculinized profession, and to this day, it is not 100% adapted for women to practice it," García told EFE.

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Space exploration has historically been a very masculinized profession, and to this day, it is not 100% adapted for women to practice it.

She pointed to equipment like spacesuits as a barrier, noting they "still need improvement so that women can fit inside the suit and operate comfortably." García, who was in Argentina for a conference on the future of space missions, also emphasized that women's participation in space exploration proves it is not a profession exclusive to men. "This empirically demonstrates that being an astronaut is not a men's profession; women have simply not been given adequate opportunities," she stated.

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the suits for spacewalks, which still need improvement so that women can fit inside the suit and operate comfortably.

García, a molecular biologist at Spain's National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and one of 17 selected from 23,000 ESA candidates, aims to inspire more women into STEM. She shared her own path, revealing she realized at age 32 that being an astronaut was her dream job. Despite encountering stereotypes and prejudices, she affirmed, "I have never allowed being a woman to hold me back."

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This empirically demonstrates that being an astronaut is not a men's profession; women have simply not been given adequate opportunities.